OhioHB 184136th General Assembly (2025-2026)HouseWALLET

Prescribe limitations on intercollegiate athlete contracts

Sponsored By: Brian Stewart (Republican), Ty D. Mathews (Republican)

Signed by Governor

EducationHigher EducationEmploymentOccupational Licensing and RegulationFinance and AppropriationsHealth and Human ServicesChild CareState and Local GovernmentState GovernmentTaxationTransportationDrivers' Licenses

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

46 provisions identified: 28 benefits, 8 costs, 10 mixed.

Larger credits for historic property investors

Certificate owners can claim 35% of qualified historic renovation costs for projects in municipalities with fewer than 300,000 people or unincorporated township areas. Special rules also cover projects whose earlier approval, issued after September 13, 2022, and before July 1, 2024, was rescinded. The same project must receive a new approval after a new application. Those rules provide a 25% or 35% credit based on location. Annual claims are capped at $10 million per project, including refunds of excess credit.

Public safety officers lose trauma claims

Public safety officers cannot file claims or receive payments under this state post-traumatic stress fund section. The law also prevents liability from accruing to a state party under that section. This restriction applies to this fund provision, not every source of trauma-related benefits.

Free classes and funding for firefighters

The state may use up to $1.3 million each fiscal year for firefighter certification or other firefighter classes. Selected students pay no class cost. The State Fire Marshal sets qualifications and selection rules; classes must come from the Ohio Fire Academy or another approved provider. The law also provides $30,000 in fiscal year 2026 for the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemen’s Association Fire School.

New limits protect college athletes’ earnings

Paid name, image, and likeness contracts, including personal services, cannot last beyond an athlete’s college sports eligibility. Contracts and agent fee agreements cannot require later earnings or rights as payment. Related agent representation contracts must also end by then. Compensation contracts must follow Ohio law, with disputes handled in Ohio; violating contracts are void. These rules also cover existing contracts continued after an athlete transfers from an out-of-state school to an Ohio college.

Counties can grant limited property exemptions

Counties can exempt up to 75% of qualifying improvement value in unincorporated areas for up to 10 years. Incentive districts can reach 100% for 30 years with affected school-board approval; exceeding the basic limits generally needs each affected district’s approval. In counties above 25,000 residents, the specified proposed and existing district values generally cannot exceed 25% of county property value. Districts cannot overlap the specified township districts or include parcels already covered by the listed county exemptions or districts. County resolutions must identify benefiting public infrastructure; district resolutions must also identify projects that add demand for it.

Disabled veterans get license fee waivers

Ohio veterans with service-connected disabilities rated or compensated at 100% by the Veterans Administration do not pay the covered fees. The waiver covers listed permits, licenses, endorsements, reprints, duplicates, exams, and document authentication. Veterans must provide the disability evidence required by the registrar’s rules.

Driver training exemptions for visa holders

Two groups applying for an initial Ohio driver’s license are exempt from training-course and supervised-driving affidavit requirements. One needs a valid, unexpired U.S. Department of State visa and foreign license, plus a form confirming a hospital or health-system relationship. The other needs a valid, unexpired agricultural guest worker visa and an employer-signed form confirming Ohio farm employment.

More driving helpers for emancipated youth

An emancipated young adult with an Ohio temporary permit can drive with an accompanying adult age 21 or older. That adult must hold a current, valid Ohio driver’s or commercial driver’s license. An adult over 21 with either license can also sign the applicant’s driving-experience affidavit.

Disability placard replacements lose service fees

Ohio removable windshield placard holders can get a duplicate without paying the service fee. The original must have been lost, destroyed, or mutilated. The holder must attest to what happened to the original placard.

More help claiming Ohio unclaimed funds

Ohio spends $1 million in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to find and notify unclaimed-funds owners. Technology, advertising, and outreach also help owners and people with established ownership rights file claims. The claims appropriation pays valid claims under Ohio’s unclaimed-funds law. The commerce director can request more claim-payment funding, subject to the budget director’s approval; no added amount is set.

Property owners can reject district inclusion

An owner can remove a parcel from a proposed county incentive district when it lies partly outside the mapped district overlay. The owner must respond in writing within 45 days after the notice's postmark. The response must include a copy of a statement of intent to seek an alternative improvement-tax exemption within five years. The listed alternatives are Ohio Revised Code sections 5709.41 and 5709.73(B) or (C). The county must exclude a qualifying parcel and cannot require the district's service payments or seek its specified exemption.

Recovery funds can pay approved claims

Designated appraisal, real estate, and home-inspector recovery funds pay settlements, judgments, and court orders under their applicable recovery laws. The commerce director can request added funding when needed. The budget director must approve any increase before the added amount is appropriated. Payments depend on entitlement under the recovery laws; no added funding total or individual payment is set.

Pilot students gain workplace learning rides

The educational service center selected for southwest Ohio’s pupil transportation pilot can transport students to and from workplace learning experiences. This option is added to rides to and from students’ homes. It applies to students served by the selected center.

School transportation protects students with disabilities

Educational service centers in the pupil transportation pilot must follow each participating student's individualized education program. This includes any transportation requirements listed in the plan. The rule protects the planned transportation for students with disabilities.

Some high schoolers gain transit options

Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying city, local, and exempted village districts can use county public transit for grades 9–12. The county must have 530,000 to 540,000 residents under the latest federal decennial census and a mass transit system. Covered riders include district students and eligible community-school or chartered nonpublic-school students. Routes can require no more than one transfer, and transfers cannot occur at the system’s central hub.

Ashtabula safety center gets security funding

The law provides $250,000 from the Adult Correctional Building Fund for Ashtabula County Public Safety Center security upgrades. The money supports the county facility, not direct household payments.

Attorney General can distribute armor grants

The Ohio Attorney General’s General Holding Account can distribute money under body armor grant agreements and relevant court orders. The provision sets no funding amount or distribution period.

Grants support Ohio emergency radio connections

Ohio can use up to $4 million each fiscal year for Multi-Agency Radio Communication System grants. Grants support systems, equipment, services, and user-access fees connected to or able to work with that system. Each eligible recipient can receive up to $50,000 per fiscal year. Recipients can apply only once each fiscal year, alone or jointly.

Vista Village funding bypasses procurement rules

The Department of Behavioral Health must distribute the Community Support earmark to Vista Village despite the two cited procurement requirements. This exception applies only to that earmark. The provision does not state its amount.

Public college inspection reports go online

Ohio public colleges must send received building and fire code inspection reports to the higher education chancellor and administrative services department. This covers existing buildings they control, including buildings controlled by private entities on their behalf. The department must prominently post each report on its public website. Reports identifying needed repairs must also include estimated repair costs.

Municipal income tax records stay private

Information from municipal income tax returns, investigations, hearings, and verification checks is confidential and is not a public record. This also covers Ohio’s state-administered municipal income tax system. Disclosure is allowed only through legal exceptions, such as proper court orders and authorized official duties. These privacy rules do not change tax bills.

Building Improvement Fund gets more money

The Building Improvement Fund appropriation rises from $2.276705 million to $3.876705 million. The state must transfer $1.6 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Building Improvement Fund, Fund 5KZ0. The transfer is due on the amendment's effective date or as soon as possible afterward. This provision does not identify a direct household payment.

Economic assistance applicants get privacy protections

Covered information submitted for economic development or related financial help is confidential and is not a public record. The protection covers local governments, port authorities, and tax incentive review councils, including information derived from submissions. They can use it only to secure application approval or meet specific legal requirements, and cannot disclose it publicly.

Named community projects receive state grants

Community investment grants include $20 million for the Cuyahoga County Northcoast Connector and $10 million for Lima Veterans Memorial Hall Improvements. The required fund transfer date is June 28, 2024, or as soon as possible afterward. Before payment, recipients must sign grant agreements requiring final reports on how the money was used. Unspent, uncommitted balances at the end of fiscal year 2025 are reappropriated for the same purpose in fiscal year 2026. The law also provides $100,000 for the Achievement Centers for Children Westlake facility.

Child care payments follow enrollment

By July 9, 2028, Ohio must base publicly funded child care payments on a child's enrollment, not attendance. The Department of Children and Youth must continue using that method afterward. This changes how participating providers are paid, but it does not set payment rates or family savings.

Cities and townships can extend exemptions

Cities and townships may extend covered property tax exemptions by changing their local ordinances or resolutions. Townships may also extend qualifying incentive districts created before January 1, 2006, by up to 15 years. That extension cannot increase the share of improvement value exempt from tax. School-board notice and approval generally apply, with exceptions for specified compensation arrangements or waivers. Local governments decide whether to grant extensions; the law sets no dollar amount of savings.

Counties must compensate schools and townships

Compensation rules apply when county exemptions exceed 10 years or 75% of improvement value. When school-board approval requires compensation, the affected joint vocational school district gets the same rate and terms as the other school district. If township trustees object and no agreement is reached, the county resolution must provide township compensation. That compensation cannot exceed 50% of taxes otherwise payable for the covered period or portion.

County district payments can fund renovations

Counties may use incentive-district service payments for housing renovation loans, deferred loans, or grants on designated parcels. The county resolution must identify infrastructure improvements that benefit or serve the district. It must separately state the money or percentage allocated to infrastructure and renovations. A project in the district must put property into commercial or industrial use. The law does not guarantee renovation help for any household.

District payments preserve local service revenue

County incentive-district resolutions adopted on or after January 1, 2006, must preserve revenue from specified voter-approved tax increases. The covered levies must also have voter approval on or after that date. Service payments must give taxing authorities the same added levy revenue they receive without the exemption. Listed purposes include health, hospitals, libraries, parks, children’s services, public assistance, and community services.

Major Ohio employers can extend exemptions

Local authorities may extend a qualifying major employer's property tax exemption for up to 30 additional years. The for-profit company must be Ohio-headquartered, operate in the United States and abroad, and own the buildings and structures. It must have been at the site for more than 25 years. It must commit to at least $100 million in investment and retain at least 1,000 related jobs during the extension. The prior qualifying exemption must have expired after tax year 2024. Extensions may start in tax year 2025 or later, including a year before this section took effect.

Public authorities can clear eligible taxes

Cities, counties, new community authorities, and port authorities in counties with more than 1.3 million people may seek tax relief. Their owned or leased property must qualify for exemption under Ohio Revised Code section 717.051. They may ask the Tax Commissioner to list it as exempt and clear unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest for qualifying years. Applications are due within 12 months after this section's effective date. A county treasurer's certificate must confirm that liens from before the property's first exempt use have been paid.

Camp Cheerful receives a smaller grant

The Achievement Centers for Children Camp Cheerful facility receives a listed allocation of $75,000. This replaces the $175,000 allocation for Camp Cheerful Reimagined, a $100,000 reduction. The law does not state how services or household costs change.

Noncitizen commercial drivers get new labels

Ohio commercial driver’s licenses issued to noncitizens must prominently say “Non-Domiciled Commercial Driver’s License.” This provision changes the required label, not license fees or eligibility.

Ashtabula youth housing loses state earmark

The law removes the $250,000 earmark for Ashtabula County Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth. The Community Support appropriation falls from $20.481364 million to $20.231364 million. The remaining scheduled projects keep their listed amounts.

Large state building projects fund art

Public building construction or renovation using more than $4 million in state money must include art spending and related costs. The required amount is the lesser of 1% of applicable state money or $200,000, for art purchased from the Ohio Arts Council. The $4 million test applies separately to each appropriation or designation of nonappropriated state proceeds. The budget department can lower or waive the amount on the stated legal grounds.

Rent-based district charges block tax exemptions

A parcel in a new community district cannot receive the property tax exemption covered by this rule when the authority imposes a rent-based charge. The charge must be based on rent received from real-property leases. The law does not state the resulting tax bill.

Accelerated degrees use 90 credit hours

Covered accelerated college and career pathway degree programs must use a 90-semester-credit-hour standard. This measure applies to related program requirements and the higher education chancellor’s duties. The provision does not specify changes to tuition or financial aid.

School districts face administrative spending caps

Ohio city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school districts cannot spend over 15% of annual operating budgets on covered administration. The cap includes administrative salaries, benefits, and other costs tied to administrative offices. The provision does not set household savings or specify service changes.

Fire grants support equipment and training

Fire equipment or service grants are capped at $15,000 per recipient each fiscal year; service grants need State Fire Marshal approval. The cap is $25,000 where the Governor declared a natural disaster in the current or prior fiscal year. Documented firefighter training can receive up to $15,000 more. Small municipalities or townships planning to hire the same fire department or company can apply jointly, with proportional equipment awards and one application per recipient or contracted firefighting entity each fiscal year. The marshal can require equipment’s return when joint applicants cannot agree on its ownership or management.

Local parks receive revised project funding

Listed park, recreation, and conservation projects receive amounts ranging from $2,800 to $5 million. Irishtown Bend and Canal Basin Park receives $765,000, down from $850,000; Hart Crane Park receives $85,000. Specified projects use uncommitted balances as of June 30, 2024. Funding also covers listed unreleased projects and allowed administrative costs unless amounts were released before that date. The Department of Natural Resources can use an amount equal to 2% of listed project funding for administration.

Small counties get fire protection grants

The law provides $8 million in fiscal year 2026 for fire protection grants in counties with 70,000 or fewer residents. Population is measured by the latest decennial census. Eligible recipients can get up to $50,000 for firefighting or rescue equipment, gear, or fire protection services. Separately, the law requires an $8 million transfer from the Highway and Transportation Safety Fund to the State Fire Marshal Fund on July 1, 2025, or soon afterward.

Attorney fund changes include foundation funding

Attorney unclaimed funds reported after January 1, 2016, follow general unclaimed-funds rules, with the specified statutory exclusion. Lawmakers can fund the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation each two-year budget period to offset funds escheated to Ohio. These appropriations are outside the foundation’s existing attorney-funds arrangement and are not required. The law creates an Access to Justice Unclaimed Funds Fund and requires a $110,000 General Revenue Fund transfer on the section’s effective date or soon afterward. It provides the foundation $19,500 in fiscal year 2026 and $90,500 in fiscal year 2027 to offset escheatments.

Bridge sureties face capped completion liability

A special liability cap covers qualifying major Ohio River bridge contracts awarded with the specified statutory allowances. It applies when a surety chooses to finish the work but then fails or refuses. Liability for the transportation director’s resulting added costs cannot exceed 115% of the contract performance bond.

Older attorney funds shift foundation ownership

Special rules cover attorney unclaimed funds and interest first reported by January 1, 2016, that escheat on January 1, 2026. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation keeps custody or remains eligible to claim them through January 1, 2036. After that date, the funds and interest belong solely to the foundation.

State shifts money into trauma fund

The law requires a $40 million transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the State Post-Traumatic Stress Fund. The transfer date is July 1, 2026, or as soon as possible afterward. This provision does not specify fund uses, who qualifies for help, or household payment amounts.

Nursing homes get revised payment calculations

Ohio changes two parts of its Medicaid nursing-home quality payment calculation. The formula uses 60% of the per-day change in cost per case-mix unit from rebasing. It does not multiply that cost by the facility's semiannual case-mix score, which measures residents' care needs. The resulting payment depends on facility figures; no direct change to residents' benefits or charges is stated.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Cosponsors

Adam C. Bird
Republican • House
Adam Mathews
Republican • House
Anita Somani
Democratic • House
Bernard Willis
Republican • House
Beryl Brown Piccolantonio
Democratic • House
Bill Roemer
Republican • House
Bob Peterson
Republican • House
Brian Lorenz
Republican • House
C. Allison Russo
Democratic • House
Casey Weinstein
Democratic • Senate
Chris Glassburn
Democratic • House
Christine Cockley
Democratic • House
Darnell T. Brewer
Democratic • House
Derrick Hall
Democratic • House
Desiree Tims
Democratic • House
Dontavius L. Jarrells
Democratic • House
Elgin Rogers, Jr.
Democratic • House
Gary Click
Republican • House
Haraz N. Ghanbari
Republican • House
Hearcel F. Craig
Democratic • Senate
Ismail Mohamed
Democratic • House
Jeff LaRe
Republican • House
Jennifer Gross
Republican • House
Jerry C. Cirino
Republican • Senate
Jodi Salvo
Republican • House
Johnathan Newman
Republican • House
Josh Williams
Republican • House
Juanita O. Brent
Democratic • House
Karen Brownlee
Democratic • House
Kellie Deeter
Republican • House
Marilyn John
Republican • House
Mark Hiner
Republican • House
Mark Sigrist
Democratic • House
Meredith R. Lawson-Rowe
Democratic • House
Michael D. Dovilla
Republican • House
Michele Grim
Democratic • House
Mike Odioso
Republican • House
Monica Robb Blasdel
Republican • House
Nathan H. Manning
Republican • Senate
Nickie J. Antonio
Democratic • Senate
Paula Hicks-Hudson
Democratic • Senate
Phil Plummer
Republican • House
Rodney Creech
Republican • House
Sean P. Brennan
Democratic • House
Stephen A. Huffman
Republican • Senate
Terrence Upchurch
Democratic • House
Terry Johnson
Republican • Senate
Tex Fischer
Republican • House
Thomas Hall
Republican • House
Tim Barhorst
Republican • House
Tom Young
Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 320 • No: 11

House vote • 11/20/2025

Concurred in Senate amendments

Yes: 82 • No: 5